


hazardous terrain

by billionairevolleyboysclub



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Minor Kuroo Tetsurou/Oikawa Tooru
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26966071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/billionairevolleyboysclub/pseuds/billionairevolleyboysclub
Summary: Where a simple invitation gets derailed by some bad timing and misunderstandings.Or: Where Tsukki and Kuroo are finally in the same city, same college, and can't seem to get on the same page.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 3
Kudos: 89





	hazardous terrain

**Author's Note:**

> enjoy the un-beta'd mess

It’s only a month after he’s moved to Tokyo that he hears from Kuroo again.

They’ve gradually lost touch over the past year – mostly due to Tsukishima, he’ll admit – but now Kuroo seems to have found out he's in Tokyo for university. Tsukishima stares, stopped cold by the text notification in the middle of the busy sidewalk.

_> > From: Kuroo  
_ _hey!! It’s been a bit and a little birdie told me you’re in town now. are you free to grab coffee?_

Hinata through Kenma. Tsukishima clicks his phone to make the screen disappear. Definitely found out through Hinata through Kenma.

He stashes the phone back into this pocket, vowing to forget about it until after his classes.

++

He gets 30 minutes into a particularly dry anthropology lecture before he curses silently and pulls out his phone furtively.

_> > From: Tsukishima  
_ _Saturday works._

Kuroo responds immediately.

_> > From: Kuroo  
_ _perfect. it’s a date._

He looks back up to the lecturer, trying to seem nonchalant about the fact that his pulse has stupidly picked up.

_It’s a date._

Fucking Kuroo.

++

T-minus two days from their _~~date~~_ meeting, Kuroo sends a follow-up text with a coffee shop address and a note that _it’s just around the corner from the National Museum of Nature and Science if you want to go after._

The very suggestion makes Tsukishima want to bury his head in his hands. Either way, the notification makes him stumble over his words as he tells Yamaguchi about his week on a video call.

Yamaguchi doesn’t notice, and maybe part of Tsukishima wants him to notice so he blurts out at the end, “and I think I’m grabbing coffee with Kuroo this weekend.”

“Oh?” Yamaguchi perks up, fighting against a small smile that threatens to break across his face.

“Yeah. Kuroo suggested it.”

“Well,” Yamaguchi lets out thoughtfully, clearly restraining himself from showing too much excitement lest Tsukishima hang up then and there. “Good for you.”

Tsukishima clears his throat.

“So,” Yamaguchi pivots, quickly changing the subject. “Did you know Oikawa also goes to your university?”

++

T-minus one day before their scheduled date (yes ok, it’s a date), Tsukishima is at his student job when a harried-looking graduate student comes into the library, dumping a massive stack of books at the staff desk.

“I have a few returns.”

Tsukishima looks at the scraggly figure in front of him through the top of his glasses. “A few?”

“Tsukishima.” His student co-worker, Fujiwara, warns, not even looking up from his magazine.

“I had a big paper due,” The student replies defensively, scowling. “Russian literature.”

_That’ll be a joy to shelve._ Tsukishima thinks to himself, getting the stack scanned and loaded onto a cart. Once he’s done, Fujiwara steps in, ready to take on the next student in line.

“Want to get those up and I’ll hold the fort down here?”

“Sure,” Tsukishima nods, grateful for the temporary break. He slips his headphones on as he rolls the cart to the service elevator, glancing at the library map as he goes up to the seventh floor.

The floor is empty, full of tall rows and rows of mostly archival books in obscure subjects. Like Russian literature. He takes a look at the first book in his hands and begins shelving, zoning out as he makes his way through the cart.

He’s down to the last book when he hears the distant thud of a door shutting, and dual footsteps in a row near him. He swings his headphones down to his neck just in time to catch the tail-end of a muffled “ _Here? Come on Tooru– really–”_

The voice sounds much too familiar, and Tsukishima can’t help himself but turn the corner despite the sudden ice in his veins.  
  
He promptly drops what’s likely at least a 70-year old book right on its spine, at the sight of none other than Kuroo tangled up with Oikawa in the middle of the Slavic poetry section.  
  
The sound of the book hitting the floor goes off like a gunshot, and Kuroo’s head quickly comes up from where he’d been sucking face with Oikawa as the latter pushed his jacket off his shoulders.

It’d be almost comical how quickly Kuroo’s face loses color if Tsukishima didn’t feel his own face correspondingly turning into a tomato. Kuroo’s arms immediately shoot out reflexively, launching Oikawa directly into the bookshelf opposite him.

“Ow!” Oikawa grumbles, clutching his elbow.

“Tsukki!” Kuroo rasps out, quickly clearing his throat.

Tsukishima doesn’t deign him a response, turning quickly on his heel to hightail it _out_ , ignoring the sudden vice that is squeezing around his chest.

“Fuck fuck fuck,” he hears Kuroo chant under his breath as he tries to catch up to him, but he’s underestimated how quickly Tsukishima has learned to extricate himself from situations just like these. This is essentially second-nature to him, having the exits marked for every room he steps into.  
  
The service elevator doors close before Tsukishima can catch another glimpse of Kuroo’s face, and he’s suddenly in the elevator alone, facing his own flaming reflection as the carriage begins to descend.

He’s pulled himself together decently by the time he walks back into the staff room, where Fujiwara is heating up a snack.

“It’s pretty quiet tonight if you want to take off,” Fujiwara starts. “I can hold down the fort and tell Harada-san I let you go.”

“No thanks,” Tsukishima replies, keeping his voice level. “I don’t mind staying here.”

Fujiwara shrugs. “No hot date tonight?” he teases.

Tsukishima lets out a forced chuckle just as his phone begins buzzing in his pocket.

“Not tonight.”

++

“Hinata says it isn’t serious you know.”

Yamaguchi is the only call he returns after his shift at the library ends, removing notifications for 3 missed calls and 4 texts from Kuroo, 2 other missed calls from Yamaguchi, and a single text from Akaashi of all people, with a swipe of his thumb.

_> > From: Akaashi  
_ _I wouldn’t give up on it so easily, you know._

Tsukishima lets a breath out, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he adjusts his cell phone against his ear.

“What isn’t serious?”

“Come on Tsukki,” Yamaguchi replies. “You know what I’m talking about.”

“It’s 9pm I’m going home rather than engage in gossip of which I have no part in.”

Yamaguchi is silent for a second, obviously struggling to decide if this is a battle he wants to take up right now or not.

“Are you at least still going to meet him for coffee tomorrow?”

Tsukishima pauses. “I don’t know,” he says honestly.

++

He still hasn’t made up his mind when he goes in for his morning shift, resolving not to think about it until he absolutely has to. Though that doesn’t stop him from double-checking his reflection before he heads out of his apartment.

“You look nice today,” Fujiwara comments when Tsukishima enters the staff room.

“Thank you,” Tsukishima replies, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Oh, and there’s someone already waiting for you at the front desk. He said he has one of your Russian books?”  
  
Tsukishima immediately spills his cup over his shirt sleeve. He hisses, bringing his wrist up to his mouth to nurse the burn.

“Woah, are you ok–”

“Just fine!” Tsukishima replies quickly. “I’ll go see what he wants.”

Tsukishima takes his time running his wrist under the faucet before finally making his way out of the staff room. Kuroo’s observing the scattered pamphlets on the front desk when he walks out, head snapping up at his entrance.

“Hi.”

“What are you doing here?”

“What happened to your shirt?”

Tsukishima purses his lips, waiting for Kuroo to answer him. When Kuroo gives no indication of responding, Tsukishima caves.

“I spilled some coffee. What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you,” Kuroo responds coolly.

“You were going to see me three hours from now.”

“Was I?”

Tsukishima grimaces, suddenly finding it hard to meet Kuroo’s gaze.

“I just didn’t know if you’d actually show up.” Kuroo explains, leaning over the desk gingerly. “Was I wrong?”

Tsukishima doesn’t appreciate being backed into a corner. Even when it’s Kuroo doing the backing. _Especially_ when it’s Kuroo doing the backing.

“I just wasn’t sure you needed any more dates on your calendar. Seems like you have your hands full.

Tsukishima watches as Kuroo’s eyes darken. Luckily, he’s interrupted by Fujiwara, stepping up to the desk before he realizes he’s seemed to interrupt something.

“Hiya, did you get what you needed?” Fujiwara asks quizzically, glancing between the two of them.

“Not quite,” Kuroo responds, “Tsukishima-san was just telling me where this book went but I may need him to show me himself.”

_You can take it and shove it–_

“Of course,” Tsukishima responds, sending Kuroo a small smile. “Anything for the easily confused.”  
  
He pushes up off the desk, leaving behind a befuddled Fujiwara as he strides toward a random but secluded row of books, Kuroo following closely behind him.

By the time Tsukishima manages to isolate the two of them between distant bookstacks, out of Fujiwara or anyone else’s prying eyes, it seems like they’ve both lost some steam.

Tsukishima crosses his arms, finding it hard to meet Kuroo’s gaze as he settles himself across from him. Kuroo starts.

“I didn’t come here to fight with you.”

“Then why’d you come?”

“Because a year ago I asked you out and you turned me down, but not before saying maybe it’d be different if we were in the same city. I didn’t push back then, but I’ve been operating on a maybe for the past year, Tsukki. Two years if we’re being honest.”

Tsukishima bites his tongue at the raw honesty, taking a breath lest he lets his guard respond for him. Every one of his atoms is begging him to leave, instinctually. He decides to start with the obvious question.

“When did you start dating Oikawa?”

“I didn’t.” Kuroo answers immediately.

Tsukishima raises an eyebrow.

“Oikawa and I aren’t dating. We just–” Kuroo looks like he’s struggling with the right words, although Tsukishima (painfully) immediately grasps where he's going. “Enjoy each other’s company now and then.”

“In public spaces?”

Kuroo grimaces. “In my defense, I was actually here studying at first. Also, no one is ever in the Slavic literature section. Besides you yesterday of course. Of all people.”

Kuroo suddenly remembers the book in his hand, holding it out. “I brought your book back, the one that you dropped. Didn’t take you for a fan of Russian.”

“I was shelving it for work.” Tsukishima takes it, mind still working. “Do you do that a lot?” He can’t help but ask. “Bring people to the Slavic literature section?”

Kuroo’s hand falls back to his side.

“No,” he admits. “It’s easy with Oikawa because he knows it’s not more than that, and he’s got his own, err–, pursuits on top of that, but there hasn’t really been anyone else for a while.”

Tsukishima can’t help but think back to his own last two years. It wasn’t like there weren’t other people. Girls that would eye him in the hallway or try to catch him in conversation before practice. There was once even an insistent Aoba Johsai second-year with a sideways smile that reminded him of Kuroo sometimes. He went on a handful of dates with him before resigning himself to the fact that the whole thing felt somewhat fraudulent.

He tries to ignore the sudden fragility he feels as Kuroo’s gaze on him softens.

“There hasn’t really been anyone for me, either.” He finally admits. “Also for the last two years. Maybe a little more than that.”

Kuroo’s face cracks into a grin so spectacular Tsukishima can’t look away.

“ _Tsukki,”_ Kuroo starts, voice falling into a teasing lilt. “Were you smitten at first sight?”

“That’s not what I said.”

Kuroo laughs, head thrown back, before stepping incrementally closer to Tsukishima. He brings a hand up to interlace his fingers gently with Tsukishima’s.

“So do we still have a date?”

“Maybe. If Fujiwara doesn’t keep me late for disappearing into the Classics section with a strange man.”

Kuroo wiggles his eyebrows. “So you’re saying you’re not opposed to disappearing into rows of books with the right person.” His arms come up to bracket Tsukishima’s face, resting on the shelves behind him.

Tsukishima fights to keep the rising blush off his face. “Save the seduction for after the date. I’m not as easy as Oikawa.”

Kuroo barks out a laugh. “Ok Tsukki.”

It doesn’t stop him from swooping in for a chaste but gentle kiss. Nor stops Tsukishima from letting him.

**Author's Note:**

> oikawa my dear i'm sorry you did not get more lines other than an "ow".
> 
> Fun fact one of the earliest lines of the fic didn't end up making it in. Kuroo is supposed to exasperatedly go "oikawa also happens to be sleeping with half of his physics seminar" and tsukki goes "oh so now it's oikawa's problem?" and they fight but then it's fine. 
> 
> but yes, oikawa is sleeping with half of his physics seminar. good for him!!


End file.
